17 Again
by I.Dream.Of.Hardyz
Summary: Snapshots of what it feels like to be young and in love. "Ain't nothing like them first loves, baby." Song fic. Auslly.


**Sometimes, I like to write happy, sweet things. Song fic to 17 Again by Brantley Gilbert. Listen to it, it so reminds me of Austin and Ally.**

**Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Can you believe it's ours?"

"No, not really," she breathed, marveling in the still relatively empty apartment.

College graduate, Ally couldn't believe she was really in her own place with the love of her life. She turned to face her boyfriend, who sat comfortably on a worn couch, staring at her. She reached into a box near the furniture, seeing things from their high school days.

A picture of her and Trish at a football game, covered in face paint and smiling at the camera. Another of Austin in his football gear, covered in sweat yet proudly next to his teammates, having just won state. A third of the two of them, Ally in his letterman jacket and him in his gear.

A picture of their first dance together, Ally dressed in red, and Austin in black. Homecoming that year had been so sweet.

Ally in a comfortable pair of pajamas while Austin was wrapped around her in her backyard, roasting s'mores while a guitar sat near by.

A picture of her in his truck, smiling into the night sky while they drove to only they knew where. She could almost hear the crickets and the melody of the songs she loved so much.

A picture she snapped of him below her window, something he loved to do when he was bored, with his guitar and that damn smile that made her fall all over each time she saw it.

So many pictures. So many memories.

She hung a picture of their group of friends on the wall and flopped onto the couch too. "Just like we dreamed of." He leaned toward her and she pressed a kiss onto his cheek. "We've done it."

"We're alone," he realized. "It's ours."

"Yes," she giggled. "Just ours."

"It's all I've ever wanted."

"Remember that first day in the hall?"

_/1/_

"Who is that?" she muttered as a tall, blond boy walked through the crowded halls of Marino High, alone yet somehow still more confident than half of the others who walked with their friends. He was lean, yet muscular and tan—and that was saying something for someone who was used to people who enjoyed the sun. He was beautiful.

Her friend scoffed. "Ally Dawson got a crush?"

She turned to look at her best friend, Trish with a slight smile. "I just want to know who he is."

The two girls stood by their lockers, watching him edge closer toward them until he was only a few feet away. Trish nudged the girl, pulling her close so that she could whisper into her ear, "Looks like you might get your chance."

He stepped up beside her, looking down in his hands where a piece of crumbled white paper lay. It read a three digit number that she soon realized was a locker number. One that was one digit from hers. One that she was also blocking while she stared with wide eyes at the blond god before her, trying to remember how her mouth and manners worked. He decided for her, clearing his throat and flashing a smile that could counter the sun, "Sorry, I think my locker is here."

"Oh!" Ally squeaked, backing away quickly, nearly toppling into Trish. "Sorry! So sorry! I'm so sorry!"

He looked at her comically, while her best friend snorted from beyond her. "It's okay. No harm. I'm Austin, I'm new here. I just moved from California. Looks like we're locker buddies."

She glanced at her open locker and then nodded a little too enthusiastically. "Yes! We are! Best lockers in the school! I mean… oh God. Nevermind."

He chuckled. "And you are?"

"Oh! I'm Ally. Ally Dawson. Not new here."

"Figured as much," he teased. "Well, nice meeting you, Ally. I'll see you around."

He walked away, a smile still present on his face, leaving Ally to slam her locker closed and throw her face into her books. "Please never let me talk again," she groaned as her best friend came up beside her, still giggling away.

_/2/_

"And we're here because?" Trish commented a few weeks later, several weeks into the fall semester of their junior year at Marino High. They were on the field—the football field—heading toward the bleachers to watch the practice for the upcoming football season. Marino High prided themselves on a great team, and never took anything but the best. They crafted their young athletes into gifted ones.

Just as they took a seat, a blond mop of hair in a pair of gym shorts and a white tank top walked by, and Ally nearly swooned.

"That's why," Trish grumbled, slouching back on the metal seats, rolling her eyes. "Have you even talked to him since that day at the lockers?"

"Of course!" Ally insisted defensively. "Otherwise it'd be creepy that I'm here…"

"And what did you say to him?"

She halted in her steps to edge closer to the field, turning to face her friend. "I said that I liked his shirt."

"And?"

She stiffened, "That's it."

The other girl laughed as the practice started, and the boys began to warm up. Several ran past her, doing laps, and one slowed to nearly a stop. Austin smirked down at the girl as he jogged past, flashing her another smile and a little wave. She squeaked into her fingers, giving him a shy smile back, and finally waving once he'd turned around.

"He's turned you into an idiot," Trish huffed.

The practice went on, and by the end of it, all the boys were sweaty and exhausted, meeting up with friends, and then heading toward the locker room. Ally sat on the benches still, watching as Austin goofed off with another junior, and then faced her direction. He began to walk her way and she fidgeted in her seat, not sure what to expect from the coming conversation.

She'd sort of been showing up wherever he was in the last few weeks. Granted, they did have several classes together which meant she had easy access to 'Austin-watching' as Trish would call it, but everything else could be considered borderline stalking. She overheard the boy telling their classmate Jace that he'd taken a job at the local diner in the mall, not too far from her parent's store. It wasn't a secret that she'd suddenly been craving their food more often, actually for the first time ever. And then she noticed he happened to like the beach, and despite her utter hatred of it, she found herself slinking around there, watching him surf and play Frisbee with some of the other locals.

"I feel like I'm seeing you everywhere," he mused as he took a seat next to her, leaning back against the cool metal barrier, and then flashing her a smile. "I wonder why that is."

"Just chance, I guess," she murmured, caught and embarrassed.

He chuckled, taking his shirt and wiping his face with it. "There are much better food options than the Melody Diner, you know, and I'd love to maybe take you to one if you'd like."

"I'm sorry, I know I've been probably annoying you—what?"

He again laughed, turning to face her and shook his head. "If I didn't like seeing you, you would have already known it, Ally."

"I… um. Yes?"

"You've got a way with words," he teased, brushing some hair out of her face. "What do you say about Friday night after the game? I know a really good place that I found when I first moved here. You come cheer me on, and I'll get you the best food you're ever going to eat after. Do we have a deal?"

Her face burned red, and she could barely muster up enough courage to nod. "Yes."

_/3/_

Football wasn't really her thing, but she loved the absolute thrill of the pride that it gave her classmates to cheer on the football team. They were caked in their school colors, whether it be in face paint, or clothes, or even ribbons and signs, cheering on the first game of the season—a hard fought battle against one of the rival schools who loved to talk crap. The offensive was fantastic, and they'd already lost one player to an injury after the other team had put on a play that was probably barely legal.

It'd made Ally nervous. She didn't like when people cheated, especially when it meant it could hurt someone else. Yes, a little friendly competition was always good, but it honestly was just a game. It wasn't worth what some people put it up to.

Trish sat beside her, looking bored while texting some redhead she swore she didn't like, and Ally blinked back onto the field. Austin was near the center, just beyond the quarterback, searching the crowd for her while they set up the next play. She waved from where she sat and gave him a thumbs up, which made him laugh and give one back. Dorky, maybe but she didn't care. They called for the play and the game went back into action, full of more hard hits and intense plays.

By the end of it, they'd ended up winning by only one point, yet it was still a victory that called for serious celebration. The fans went into the field, running after players and cheering into the darkening sky. The sun was going down, casting pink and yellow through the air and Ally darted through the sweaty bodies until she found Austin, surrounded with some of the other players. He grinned as she neared, coming to a stop just before him. He'd scored the winning point.

"You were awesome," she called over the noise. "Congratulations!"

"I wonder if I have a good luck charm," he murmured as he came closer, close enough that his breath tickled her neck. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," she answered, nodding to Trish who began to walk toward her car. "I'm ready."

"Great. Let me just get changed and we'll head out. Meet me by the parking lot in five?"

Ally nodded and watched him disappear toward the locker room, and she found herself meandering through the crowds toward the parking lot entrance. She stood there for several minutes before what seemed like a fight started to brew. The other school's team were harassing who she recognized as several of Austin's friends, two guys named Jace and Dallas, pushing and shoving them, while dumping what she hoped was water on the two. Just as she went to back away, afraid that she could get involved if she walked any closer, she heard a familiar voice yell, "Hey!"

Austin came up beside her, and he quickly handed her a set of keys. "Blue car on the right. Get in the car and lock the doors."

She did as she was told as he went toward the group of guys, and began to shove the others back. It became more serious, several punches being thrown and words that she'd never want to repeat being said. Dallas hit the ground, and several kicks kept him there, until Austin tackled the one responsible. She watched from the car, as a couple of other guys came from beside the building, ganging up on his friends. Soon, it was about seven on three and Austin and his friends were losing the battle. Ally, despite what should have been better judgment, got out of Austin's car and came forward.

"Stop it! Leave them alone!" she yelled over the fighting, watching Austin be thrown into a fence, his body bouncing off it and his letterman's jacket being ripped off and thrown her direction. They pushed him against the fence again, tossing a few punches his way, just as security finally decided to make their presence known. The boys from the other school scattered, and Jace helped Dallas off the floor. He gagged into the nearby bushes, and Ally ran the distance to Austin, whose lip and nose were both bleeding at this point. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, breathing in stiffly. "Just sore. I'm okay, promise. Just a couple of assholes who are sore losers. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting," he said as he picked up his jacket. She shook from the fear and the cool air breezing around her. "Are you cold?" He slipped the jacket on her, and Ally couldn't help but think despite all that had just happened that it seemed to fit just right.

"Not anymore," she finally muttered as he led her back to his car.

_/4/_

"We had some fries and split a milkshake and it was all very romantic comedy," Ally giggled on the phone to her best friend later that night, after going over every detail she could possibly remember. "We stopped at my house first so that I could get him some ice and some tissues to clean up though. Those boys were so horrible. They are lucky no one was seriously hurt."

"That's such crap. I hope security caught them."

"In a way, I'm sort of glad it happened though," she admitted quietly. "He put his letterman jacket on me."

"Ooh, Ally!"

She smiled at the phone, staring at her reflection in the mirror across the room. "And then he kissed me."

"What did it feel like?"

"Like sugar and summer and sweetness and I want to go out with him again."

"Of course you do," her friend agreed. "Good, Ally. I'm glad it's working out."

"Me too, Trish. Me too."

_/5/_

"The homecoming dance is only two weeks away and he hasn't asked me yet!"

"I'm sure he will, Ally."

"I don't know, Trish. We've only gone on a few dates. What if he doesn't really like me like that?"

"Do you hear yourself?" her friend cried. "You're ridiculous. If anyone is more nauseatingly happy than you two, let me know because I can't picture anyone else."

Ally huffed from her seat at the lunch table. "Then why is he avoiding me?"

The room went quiet as she said this, and they turned to notice that Austin and a few of his friends were walking toward them, all smiling widely. Austin nodded to a group near the window where a radio was set up, and then he climbed onto a table. "I know an extraordinary girl. A girl who makes me smile, makes me laugh, and makes me all around happy. She reminds me of who I am, and who I should be, and I fall for her more every day. I want the world to know that I want to take her to the homecoming dance, and if you will let me now, let me ask the beautiful and lovely Ally Dawson to be my date?"

That's the day that Ally Dawson learned that not only was Austin a romantic idiot like herself, but he could also sing his ass off.

_/6/_

"He got grounded because him, Dez, Jace, and Dallas went to the rival school and stole all their football gear. The school gave him a warning, saying next time he'd be benched for the rest of the season and suspended. His parents told him consider the grounding a warning and if he wants to live, he'll never do it again." Ally sighed, staring at the wall. A picture of her and Austin was there, both of them smiling after a game. "I really like him, but I swear he's an idiot."

"You said it, not me."

"Trish!"

"Sorry. Dez is grounded, too, if it makes you feel any better."

A crash from outside made her job. "Trish? I think someone's trying to break into my house. Hold on."

"Hold on? Ally, people say that before they end up dead! Hello, Ally?!"

Ally didn't listen as she put the phone down and peered out of her second story window to see what she might have heard. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she rolled her eyes and decided it was probably a neighborhood cat when something else crashed. She went towards the window again, when a mop of blond hair poked it's way inside. "Hi, Ally!"

She shrieked, falling backwards onto the floor. Trish could be heard through the receiver, "IS EVERYTHING OKAY? ARE YOU BEING MURDERED?!"

"I have to go," she snapped into the phone with a laugh, hanging it up as Austin pushed her back onto the ground, kissing her gently on the mouth while he took the phone from her hands, throwing it on the bed and then tangling his fingers in hers. She could barely mutter, "You're supposed to be grounded," before he has his lips melting on hers again.

"I don't follow rules," he growled into her ear. "Besides, how am I supposed to go a week without you?"

"I don't know," she giggled as he nipped at her ears. "I missed you."

"Clearly," he hummed, pulling at her shirt and then laughing as she tugged at his pants.

"My parents are downstairs," she reminded him carefully. "They won't like you sneaking in my window."

"I don't think most parents would," he teased.

_/7/_

"I love how your hands know exactly where they should go on my body."

"Your smile gives me that feeling in my stomach like…"

"You're about to throw up?"

Ally giggled, "No! Well, maybe. In a good way."

"I can't believe we've been together almost six months," he murmured. "I'm so glad that our lockers were next to each other."

"I'm so glad that you decided I wasn't a creepy stalker," she joked, staring at the clock on the wall. It was past four am and she didn't even care. She couldn't get enough of her boyfriend, she wanted him all hours of the day. And since he got caught sneaking into her room a few weeks beforehand, and her parents put a stop to that, they had to settle for late night phone calls that generally resulted in nothing but wishes and hopes for the future.

"Imagine us a few years from now… in college, have an apartment together."

"That would be nice," she admitted.

"Think of all the alone time we'd have. I could have you practically naked any time I wanted," he almost swooned.

Ally scoffed. "I guess that's all I'm good for."

"Not at all," he replied seriously. "I adore you."

"I know," she said quietly. "I love you."

He went quiet, as she said the words she'd been thinking about the last few days.

"You do?"

"Yes."

"Okay, that's good. I love you, too."

_/8/_

Senior year came like fire, fast and powerful, making for a fall that no one would forget easily. Football was in full force, and Austin and his teammates wanted state. They worked hard (and had some lovely cheerleaders in the form of some very pretty girls—Ally, Trish, Cassidy, Kira—and had a current no loss record.

Weekdays were talks of the upcoming games, weeknights and weekends were war paint nights, covering themselves in school colors and screaming for their boys.

And after that, it was back roads and celebrating—usually half naked—under the stars. Somehow, the bed of Austin's truck was so much more comfortable then her bed when he was around.

Weeks passed on, love grew more beautiful and the games continued to be conquered.

State was two days away.

They packed up cars, traveling almost fifty miles to where the game would be held. People missed class to get there, giggling as they ran up the bleachers and prepared for the game of their lives. First quarter they dominated, second was a bit hard on them, third it was even, and fourth was their comeback. They finished the game up five, and there wasn't a quiet soul on their side of the field. People came from all ends, running into the field, throwing things into the air. Marino High had just won state, and there was nothing more beautiful then the kiss Austin and Ally shared under the lights.

Maybe they didn't win national, but who cares?

_/9/_

"Panama City is actually better than Miami," Austin decided as they pulled into their hotel room for the senior year spring break. They'd convinced their parents to let them go with their friends for a week of relaxation before the last few weeks of school.

Ally was ecstatic because despite being with Austin for so long, they'd yet to have sex, and she was hoping this would not only be a fun-filled week, but a sexy, sizzling, memorable one, too.

"I like it," she agreed as they threw their suitcases into the room, and then collapsed onto the bed. The room was quiet, yet comfy, close to the beach, yet far enough that they weren't surrounded by tourists like themselves. Quiet enough that only each other could be heard. "It's nice."

He kissed her cheek. "It's beautiful. Like you."

_/10/_

"I like sex."

Ally laughed as she lay naked beneath the covers, thoroughly exhausted yet fulfilled, her body sore yet warm next to her boyfriend. He too was warm, his body calming hers and making her feel all kinds of loved. "Do you?" she teased.

"Don't you?" he countered.

"Oh, yeah."

"Good because I think I want a lot more of it."

"I think we could do that."

He turned to face her, her rosy cheeks and well toned body, smiling tenderly at her.

_/11/_

Ally sat in her room a few weeks before she was set to graduate high school, tired from studying and wanting nothing more to escape what was probably the most exhausting few weeks of her life. She had so many finals and last minute things to do, but she wanted nothing more to throw it out the window.

Oddly enough, someone else seemed to be underneath it.

A guitar that strummed one of her favorite songs caught her interest. "She walks like summer and acts like rain, reminds me that there's time to change, yeaaaah, yeah, yeah."

She peered over the ledge.

"Tell me, did the wind sweep you off your feet?"

Austin sat on the grass beneath her, his truck just beyond her view, but the headlights flooding the side of her house, illuminating his wonderful smile, the smile that she fell in love with almost two years ago. He paused playing for a moment, "I thought we could take my truck to the back roads, blast some music and forget about this damn town for a few hours. What do you say?"

"I'll be down in two minutes."

_/11/_

"A part of me knew the moment I first saw you, you were going to be a girl who changed my life."

"Really? I was a mess. I couldn't even form a sentence."

"I thought you were adorable."

"What do you think now?"

Austin shrugged. "Not much has changed."


End file.
